Bottle opening device



Dec. 9, 1952 1.. GOULD BOTTLE OPENING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1949 $.25: GouZd ai'i'as Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i BOTTLE OPENING DEVICE Lester E. Gould, Loretta, Mien.

Application August 8, 1949, Serial No. 109,103

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a bottle opening device, and more particularly to a device for removing the crim ped caps of beer or soft drink bottles.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an opener in association with a storage chest whereby removal of a bottle from the chest effects the opening thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a plurality of opening devices in a storage chest whereby a relatively large number of bottles may be suspended by the edges of their caps in such manner that when the bottle is tipped pressure is exerted on the cap to cause removal of the same.

A further object is the provision of an opening device adapted to save time and labor in a beverage dispensing establishment.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of device embodying the instant invention, partially broken away, certain concealed portions being shown in dotted lines,

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a single opener,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a constructional detail.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the draw- Referring now to the drawings in detail there is generally indicated at I0 a beverage storage cabinet, such as a refrigerator, within which are secured a plurality of transversely extending metal strips H to which the opening devices, generally indicated at l-2, of the instant invent-ion are secured in any desired manner as, for example, by spot welding. The devices 12 include a solid top portion I3 and depending side walls [4, the latter being flared outwardly at the front end of each device to facilitate the insertion of bottles 15.

The lower extremity of each side wall M is provided with an inwardly extending flange l6 running substantially the entire length of the device but terminating short of the flared portion. Each flange is provided with an upstruck 2 projection ll adjacent its front end, the purpose of which will be presently described.

The width of the device is, as best seen in Figure 3, such that the neck of a conventional beer or soft drink bottle will pass between the flanges it, while the crimped cap I8 will rest upon the flanges, thus supporting the bottle.

In use a plurality of bottles are placed in each, device 12 as best shown in Figure 1, and when a bottle is ordered the dispenser need only reach into the container and grasp a bottle, tilting it towards him at the same time, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, whereupon flanges l6 and solid top it coact to remove the cap. The opened bottle may then be readily removed, the cap remaining in the device, projections l1 precluding passage of the caps out of the front of the device.

It is to be noted that each device terminates short of the rear wall of the container, so that as additional bottles are placed in the device previously removed, the caps are ejected from the open rear end thereof to fall into a suitable receptacle (not shown) on the floor of the cabinet.

When the bottle opening device is associated with a cabinet as illustrated, all of the bottles from a single rack are removed before the particula-r rack is replenished with filled bottles. It will be observed that a great saving of time is effected in that by a single operation the bottle is removed from the refrigerator and opened at the same time. When all of the bottles have been removed from a single rack, a new group of bottles is inserted in the rack and the placement of such bottles sequentially moves all of the retained caps in the rack toward the rear end thereof for discharge into the bottom of the refrigerator where a suitable receptacle is placed for the collection of the caps.

As will be understood, the difference between the di-ametrical dimensions of the body portion and the neck and cap zone of a beverage bottle, and the fact that the bottle cap is secured in position in such way that it is capable of supporting the filled bottle in suspended position or relation, makes it possible to provide a regimen such as the above. When a rack is filled with the bottles, the bodies thereof may be in contact and with the rear bottle contacting the rear wall of the container, but the cap zones will be spaced apart due to the lesser diameter of such zone; hence, the rack may terminate short of the rear of the chamber a distance sufficient :to permit a cap to fall off of the rack rear end without affecting the ability of the rear bottle to be supported on the rack by its cap.

When a bottle is to be removed, the attendant simply grasps the body of the advance or forward bottle and draws the lower zone toward the entrance of the chamber, thus tilting the bottle and bringing the front edge of the top of the cap into contact with the closed top of the rack while side zones of the bottom of the cap contact the flange 16 rearward of such front contact; since the length of the bottle presents a leverage effeet under these conditions, the sealed condition of the bottle is quickly broken, leaving the opened bottle in the hand of the attendant while the cap remains within the rack.

It is possible that when being advanced the bottle cap may slightly advance due to the spacing of the neck zones of the bottles, but this is immaterial, since the stops I! will prevent advance of a cap therebeyond; as the bottles are removed the residue of caps could be advanced into contact with each other, but the stops I! will end any advance and thus provide the res sta ce W ch wou d "force the uncapping development. When the rack supply is being replenished for restocking, the residue of caps are moved rearwardly until the end of the rack is reached whereupon they fall off the rack into the collection receptacle.

As indicated in'Figure 1, the cabinet may have a succession of rack series arranged in spaced relation'vertically; in such "case the-racks of one series are arranged :in staggered relation with those'of an adjacent series.

It will also be understood that the opener may be employed as a hand device separate and apart from a refrigerator construction, the opener havingits-flared end slidover the topof a capped bottle and upon relative tilting movement of the opener 'and'the bottle,'the cap which is engaged with'the flangeslt is easily removed andthe cap may be slidably discharged through the a smaller end of-the-opem'ng device.

From the foregoing it will now be apparent thatthere is hereinzprovided a device which accomplishes all the objects of the invention and othersiincluding many advantages of great. practical utility, and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

A bottle opening device comprising an elongated channel member open at both ends and having a top wall and depending side walls, the top wall and side walls flaring outwardly at one end and the remaining portions of the side walls being substantially parallel, an inturned flange on the lower edge of each parallel side wall portion extending a short distance into the flared end, said flanges being spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive the neck of a conventional beverage bottle with the edges of a crimped cap on the bottle adapted to supportingly engage the inturned flanges, the side walls being of such depth with respect to a bottle cap whereby tilting movement of the bottle relative to the top wall and flange efiects removal of the cap from the bottle, and a projection rising from each flange substantially at the junctures of the parallel side wall portions with the flared end to prevent withdrawal of bottle caps from the flared end of the device.

' LESTER vE. GOULD.

' REFERENCES CITED 'The following referencesareof record in the file-of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

